Chapter 218: 002: Achievement: Wizard

It was still the same forest as before, still the same season of spring.

The trees in the forest had grown even lusher, and the flowers and grass beneath them more vigorous. The thriving vegetation attracted a large number of herbivorous demons to settle here.

Not long ago, a group of forest fairies had also built their nests in this area. It was a common sight to see fairies, wearing flower crowns and dressed in floral buds or leafy garments, flapping their delicate little wings as they flitted through the forest collecting morning dew and nectar.

Amid this peaceful atmosphere, a gentle breeze swept through the forest and wrapped around Lynch, lifting him slowly into the air.

The gray cloak fluttered wildly in the wind, with sunlight streaming through the treetops, casting dappled light and shadow across his figure.

Standing aloft, he gazed down at the forest below. In addition to the familiar scenes of the material world before him, another dimension of vision unfolded—a view of the elemental world.

In this sight, the wind was green, the earth yellow, the rivers blue…

A kaleidoscope of vivid and dazzling colors.

Anyone familiar with the Wizard’s Road would recognize this ability—

Elemental Vision.

This was a unique skill that emerged once one’s perception ability reached a new level. With it, transcendent beings could effortlessly perceive the omnipresent elements of the world and distinguish them purely through sight.

Possessing this ability signified stepping into the true echelon of this world—a realm that transcended nature itself—

The realm of Wizards!

“I’ve finally advanced!”

It had been five years since Lynch had created the Rock Giant in this very spot. During those five years, he had relentlessly and tirelessly dedicated himself to cultivation, come rain or shine, day or night, never slacking for a single day.

Thousands of unyielding nights and days… actually, far more than just that, as much of the time was spent within the Time Hut.

The Time Hut left to him by Wizard Somda had been put to full use. Cultivating inside paused the flow of time… but this didn’t mean Lynch could cultivate indefinitely within it to boost his strength.

The hut’s usage came with significant limitations; it required an investment of elemental materials, like Magic Stones, to activate and gain time within.

Moreover, any time spent in this space truly aged the user. Spending a year inside meant growing a year older in the outside world…

For Lynch, as a transcendent being whose appearance remained constant with each breakthrough, this wasn’t an issue, but for an ordinary person, ten or twenty years in the hut would result in visibly advanced aging upon their return.

The Time Hut’s benefits to Lynch’s cultivation were actually minimal—it couldn’t inexplicably grant power or accelerate progress. On the contrary, it required significant resources like Magic Stones, making it arguably not worth the cost.

Most of Lynch’s use of the hut was, in fact, for research purposes—exploring whether it could yield more practical abilities…

Although the true time flow within the hut was hard to determine, Lynch deduced a rough estimate from the resources he had consumed and the toll it had taken on his Life Force over the years.

He calculated that time inside passed at roughly three times the pace of the material world, translating to about fifteen years.

Fifteen years in the Time Hut, plus five years in the material world—twenty years in total. Completing the final step from high-level apprentice to Wizard had truly been an arduous journey.

“What an absolutely terrifying barrier.”

Even now, Lynch shuddered at the memory.

Throughout those twenty long years, his strength had remained almost unchanged.

Yes, it was as if he had become a stagnant pool of water, unable to sense even the slightest growth in spiritual power or energy. The elements he attempted to absorb seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving no trace behind.

One day, two days—that was bearable. A month or two could be endured as well. But a year, two years… ten years, twenty years…

Watching time evaporate before his very eyes, no matter how much effort he exerted, provided no perceivable progress. Each day felt like futile labor, merely wasting time awaiting death…

Ask yourself: faced with this, wouldn’t anyone feel fear?

It was only after experiencing this existential dread and uncertainty that Lynch fully grasped why so many apprentices never advanced to become Wizards—why so many, even at the precipice of success, ultimately chose to give up.

Once like him, fervently devoted to tireless cultivation, they surrendered at the final hurdle.

The more rationale among them refocused their efforts on spells, knowledge, or pursuits like Magic Potion Alchemy. The self-indulgent sought solace in hedonism, immersing themselves in love and dopamine surges. The more depraved succumbed to madness.

Spreading plagues, inciting wars, conducting cruel experiments using humans or fellow apprentices—their twisted frustrations and despair were violently offloaded onto others…

All of it,

At its root, stemmed from this terrifying barrier.

The absence of hope for progress and the fear of an unknown future drove healthy minds toward distortion and insanity, as endless, unrewarded toil chipped away at their resolve…

“Without the system, I probably wouldn’t have fared much better than the others…”

Over the years, Lynch too had plunged into the same plight as countless apprentices. Those endless days of effort with no visible outcomes were deeply discouraging, striking blow after blow to his determination, tempting him countless times to give in and stop trying.

Fortunately, each time he completed a session of cultivation, he would hear a crisp notification sound and see a number floating up before him:

[Meditation Proficiency +1]

That unassuming increment reminded him that his efforts were not in vain; his labor indeed bore fruit.

Proficiency +1

Proficiency +1

…

From a single digit to tens to hundreds, then thousands, tens of thousands, and eventually beyond a hundred thousand…

That humble number became his most potent source of motivation on this arduous and obscure road, a lighthouse guiding him through the same darkness and uncertainty that had ensnared countless apprentices.

Relying on this unyielding beacon of light, he crossed the black river that had drowned so many apprentices and made it to the far shore.

When his proficiency reached the final milestone of fifty thousand, he finally shattered the barrier!

[Meditation max]

Achievement: Wizard!

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